Anthony Ballantoni

Looking Ahead

Looking Ahead: 57 to the 500

During the off-season, Looking Ahead gives a snapshot of where drivers finished in 2012 and what’s ahead for them in 2013. We will look at drivers who scored at least 250 points in the Cup Series and those who earned at least 200 points in the Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series.

With 57 days to go until the 2013 season-opening Daytona 500, here are some driver recaps followed by a tentative list of 2013 Sprint Cup Driver/Team lineups.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS):Jamie McMurray finished 21st in the standings and earned 868 points.2012: Drove the No. 1 Chevrolet for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. In the 36 starts, he led 58 laps, had three top 10 finishes and had an average start of 21.3 and a 20.1 average finish. McMurray also drove one truck race in Turner Motorsports’ No. 30 Chevrolet Silverado at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He started and finished in ninth place.Best NSCS start: 9 - Texas 04/14/12Best NSCS finish: 7 - Bristol 03/18/12Last NSCS Win: Charlotte 10/16/10.2013: McMurray will return for a full season in the No. 1 Chevrolet. Crew chief Kevin ”Bono” Manion will also return. The only major change is the team will get their engines from Hendrick Motorsports instead of Earnhardt Childress Racing.

Aric Almirola finished 20th in the standings and earned 868 points.2012: Drove the No. 43 Ford for Richard Petty Motorsports. In the 36 starts, he led 78 laps, scored one pole, had one top five and four top 10 finishes and had an average start of 16.2 and a 20.0 average finish. Wauters Motorsports put Almirola in their No. 5 Ford F-150 for three starts in the NCWTS (Atlanta, Talladega and Fort Worth). His best results were a fifth at AMS and a ninth in Texas.Best NSCS start: 1 - Charlotte 05/27/12Best NSCS finish: 4 - Martinsville 10/28/12Last NSCS Win: None so far.2013: Almirola will return for a full season in the No. 43 Ford. Todd Parrott, who took over as crew chief in September, will head the No. 43 crew in 2013.

Jeff Burton finished 19th in the standings and earned 883 points.2012: Drove the No. 31 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing. In the 36 starts, he led 38 laps, had two top five and six top 10 finishes and had an average start of 23.1 and a 19.6 average finish.Best NSCS start: 4 - Martinsville 10/28/12Best NSCS finish: 2 - Daytona 07/07/12Last NSCS Win: Charlotte 10/11/08.2013: Burton will return for a full season in the No. 31 Chevrolet. Luke Lambert will return as crew chief for the team.

NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS):Danny Efland finished 21st in the standings and earned 327 points.2012:Drove 17 races in the JD Motorsports’ No. 4 Chevrolet and one in the No. 08 Ford for Randy Hill Racing. In the 18 races, he had an average start of 33.9 and a 25.8 average finish.Best NNS start: 23 - Talladega 05/05/12Best NNS finishes: 13 - Daytona 02/25/12 and Daytona 07/06/12Last NNS Win: None so far.2013: No firm plans at this time.

Johanna Long finished 20th in the standings and earned 428 points.2012: Drove 21 races in the ML Motorsports’ No. 70 Chevrolet. She had an average start of 19.6 and a 23.6 average finish.Best NNS start: 8 - Richmond 09/07/12Best NNS finishes: 12 - Daytona 07/06/12 and Kentucky 09/22/12Last NNS Win: None so far.2013: Long will return for another partial season in the No. 70 Chevrolet. ML Motorsports does not enter every race on the NNS schedule.

Timmy Hill finished 19th in the standings and earned 452 points.2012: Drove 27 races in Rick Ware Racing’s Nos. 15, 41, 71 and 75 Chevrolets and Fords and one race in ML Motorsports No. 70 Chevrolet. In the 28 races, he led four laps, had two top 10 finishes and had an average start of 31.3 and a 26.3 average finish. Hill also made five Sprint Cup starts; one in Rick Ware Racing’s No. 37 Ford, one in Joe Nemechek’s No. 97 Toyota and three in FAS Lane Racing’s No. 32 Ford. His best Cup finish was a 22nd at Kansas for FAS Lane. Hill finished sixth in his one NASCAR Canadian Tire Series start driving Derek White’s No. 10 Dodge.Best NNS start: 21 - Iowa 05/20/12Best NNS finish: 7 -Daytona 02/25/12Last NNS Win: None so far.2013: No firm plans at this time.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS):David Starr finished 19th in the standings and earned 423 points.2012:Drove 16 races in the Joey Arrington Racing No. 81 Toyota Tundra. He led three laps, had one top 10 finish, and had an average start of 22.6 and a 17.6 average finish. Starr also made six starts in the Nationwide Series; three for MAKE Motorsports in their No. 50 Chevrolet and three in SR2 Motorsports’ No. 24 Chevrolet. His best finish in that series was a 23rd at Fort Worth in the No. 24.Best NCWTS start: 10 - Chicago 07/21/12Best NCWTS finishes: 17 - Daytona 02/24/12, Texas 06/08/12 and Talladega 10/06/12Last NCWTS Win: Martinsville 04/01/06.2013: No firm plans in place at this time but Starr may return to the No. 81 for another part-time schedule.

Bryan Silas finished 18th in the standings and earned 471 points.2012: Drove the full season in the T3R Motorsports’ No. 99 Ford F-150. In the 22 races, he led four laps and had an average start of 26.6 and a 22.7 average finish. Silas drove Randy Hill Racing’s No. 08 Ford at Daytona in the July NNS race and finished 20th.Best NCWTS start: 15 - Talladega 10/06/12Best NCWTS finish: 12 - Talladega 10/06/12Last NCWTS Win: None so far.2013: No firm plans in place at this time.

During the off-season, Looking Ahead gives a snapshot of where drivers finished in 2012 and what’s ahead for them in 2013. We will look at drivers who scored at least 250 points in the Cup Series and those who earned at least 200 points in the Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series.

With 57 days to go until the 2013 season-opening Daytona 500, here are some driver recaps followed by a tentative list of 2013 Sprint Cup Driver/Team lineups.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS):Jamie McMurray finished 21st in the standings and earned 868 points.2012: Drove the No. 1 Chevrolet for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. In the 36 starts, he led 58 laps, had three top 10 finishes and had an average start of 21.3 and a 20.1 average finish. McMurray also drove one truck race in Turner Motorsports’ No. 30 Chevrolet Silverado at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He started and finished in ninth place.Best NSCS start: 9 - Texas 04/14/12Best NSCS finish: 7 - Bristol 03/18/12Last NSCS Win: Charlotte 10/16/10.2013: McMurray will return for a full season in the No. 1 Chevrolet. Crew chief Kevin ”Bono” Manion will also return. The only major change is the team will get their engines from Hendrick Motorsports instead of Earnhardt Childress Racing.

Aric Almirola finished 20th in the standings and earned 868 points.2012: Drove the No. 43 Ford for Richard Petty Motorsports. In the 36 starts, he led 78 laps, scored one pole, had one top five and four top 10 finishes and had an average start of 16.2 and a 20.0 average finish. Wauters Motorsports put Almirola in their No. 5 Ford F-150 for three starts in the NCWTS (Atlanta, Talladega and Fort Worth). His best results were a fifth at AMS and a ninth in Texas.Best NSCS start: 1 - Charlotte 05/27/12Best NSCS finish: 4 - Martinsville 10/28/12Last NSCS Win: None so far.2013: Almirola will return for a full season in the No. 43 Ford. Todd Parrott, who took over as crew chief in September, will head the No. 43 crew in 2013.

Jeff Burton finished 19th in the standings and earned 883 points.2012: Drove the No. 31 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing. In the 36 starts, he led 38 laps, had two top five and six top 10 finishes and had an average start of 23.1 and a 19.6 average finish.Best NSCS start: 4 - Martinsville 10/28/12Best NSCS finish: 2 - Daytona 07/07/12Last NSCS Win: Charlotte 10/11/08.2013: Burton will return for a full season in the No. 31 Chevrolet. Luke Lambert will return as crew chief for the team.

NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS):Danny Efland finished 21st in the standings and earned 327 points.2012:Drove 17 races in the JD Motorsports’ No. 4 Chevrolet and one in the No. 08 Ford for Randy Hill Racing. In the 18 races, he had an average start of 33.9 and a 25.8 average finish.Best NNS start: 23 - Talladega 05/05/12Best NNS finishes: 13 - Daytona 02/25/12 and Daytona 07/06/12Last NNS Win: None so far.2013: No firm plans at this time.

Johanna Long finished 20th in the standings and earned 428 points.2012: Drove 21 races in the ML Motorsports’ No. 70 Chevrolet. She had an average start of 19.6 and a 23.6 average finish.Best NNS start: 8 - Richmond 09/07/12Best NNS finishes: 12 - Daytona 07/06/12 and Kentucky 09/22/12Last NNS Win: None so far.2013: Long will return for another partial season in the No. 70 Chevrolet. ML Motorsports does not enter every race on the NNS schedule.

Timmy Hill finished 19th in the standings and earned 452 points.2012: Drove 27 races in Rick Ware Racing’s Nos. 15, 41, 71 and 75 Chevrolets and Fords and one race in ML Motorsports No. 70 Chevrolet. In the 28 races, he led four laps, had two top 10 finishes and had an average start of 31.3 and a 26.3 average finish. Hill also made five Sprint Cup starts; one in Rick Ware Racing’s No. 37 Ford, one in Joe Nemechek’s No. 97 Toyota and three in FAS Lane Racing’s No. 32 Ford. His best Cup finish was a 22nd at Kansas for FAS Lane. Hill finished sixth in his one NASCAR Canadian Tire Series start driving Derek White’s No. 10 Dodge.Best NNS start: 21 - Iowa 05/20/12Best NNS finish: 7 -Daytona 02/25/12Last NNS Win: None so far.2013: No firm plans at this time.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS):David Starr finished 19th in the standings and earned 423 points.2012:Drove 16 races in the Joey Arrington Racing No. 81 Toyota Tundra. He led three laps, had one top 10 finish, and had an average start of 22.6 and a 17.6 average finish. Starr also made six starts in the Nationwide Series; three for MAKE Motorsports in their No. 50 Chevrolet and three in SR2 Motorsports’ No. 24 Chevrolet. His best finish in that series was a 23rd at Fort Worth in the No. 24.Best NCWTS start: 10 - Chicago 07/21/12Best NCWTS finishes: 17 - Daytona 02/24/12, Texas 06/08/12 and Talladega 10/06/12Last NCWTS Win: Martinsville 04/01/06.2013: No firm plans in place at this time but Starr may return to the No. 81 for another part-time schedule.

Bryan Silas finished 18th in the standings and earned 471 points.2012: Drove the full season in the T3R Motorsports’ No. 99 Ford F-150. In the 22 races, he led four laps and had an average start of 26.6 and a 22.7 average finish. Silas drove Randy Hill Racing’s No. 08 Ford at Daytona in the July NNS race and finished 20th.Best NCWTS start: 15 - Talladega 10/06/12Best NCWTS finish: 12 - Talladega 10/06/12Last NCWTS Win: None so far.2013: No firm plans in place at this time.